Unlike many of the other breeders displaying at Spring Trials, American Takii didn’t have many new introductions. But it did have a new program that has prompted many visitors to post to social media — its Asian vegetables. Takii, which is well known for its vegetable breeding, is in the process of vetting the eight to 12 vegetables it will include in the program, and it should have its list fully complete by fall 2015.

It is selecting plants that will be easy to use in Asian cooking and will help it stand out from the many vegetable programs in the ornamental market. The Takii marketing team designed bright-red Chinese food takeout containers to act as plant sleeves and a small booklet with five recipes. Honey Chicken With Pak Choy looked especially tasty.

Take a look at how the program looks and let us know what you think.

HilverdaKooij is a 100-year-old company based in the Netherlands, displaying for the first time at the American Takii location. As the breeder behind the Sunflor dianthus genetics distributed by the Dümmen Group, it displayed a variety of the compact, large-flowered varieties. Its other highlights included the Moodz echinacea collection, with several colors. The series is well-branched and compact, and would do well in containers or the landscape. Its Winterbells helleborus series features a compact, uniform habit that looks great in a container. With attractive signage and a number of colors, it would be a good addition for early spring sales.